​ Hiring a Jacksonville, FL. Painting Contractor?In today’s world, we see quite often, “painters” with basic painting tools or a business card claims to be a painting contractor. Make sure to ask the painting contractor you are interviewing the questions below. If you do the research you will be sure to hire a professional painting contractor you can be comfortable with.

Skills other than painting?If wood repair, sheetrock finishing are needed on your job, will the contractor be able to accomplish the needed repair? Most painting contractors cannot address waterproofing or repair issues. This will have you calling in other companies with unwarranted costs. Make sure your painting contractor is versed in wood repair and similar so they can fix anything that comes up efficiently; instead of halting progress and waiting on another company.

What insurance do you have?Painting contractors must carry two types of insurance:

General Liability Insurance

Workman’s Compensation

As a property owner, never hire a contractor that does not have both insurances. Call the painting contractor’s insurance carrier and confirm it is a current, active policy. Or check the status online at www.csib.ca.gov

Remember, you should confirm a painting contractor’s insurance before hiring them. Be wary of painting contractors without workmen’s compensation. These policies are expensive, and many painting companies say they have it, when they don’t.

Is the crew safe to be in my home?This can be very important; as you may suspect. Ask about who will be painting your home. Inquire about whether they conduct criminal background checks and drug screening. If they do not or minimize the need for such precautionary measures, it’s best to avoid that contractor.

Does the painting contractor have a safety program or safety standards?It is mandatory that the painting company adheres to a safety protocol. This is important even if the painting contractor has insurance. This can include a written safety policy manual, regular safety training, and an overall culture of safe work practices. Be sure to ask about the painting contractor's safety training, and the safety program they implement.

What quality materials will be used?The grade of paint and the workmanship will dictate your paint job’s finished look and longevity. There is a huge difference in quality among coatings like paints, stains and water-proofer. The difference of a $10 gallon of paint versus a $60 gallon of paint are like night and day! The more expensive paint having more resin and binders will look better and last much longer. You get what you pay for. Use the highest grade paint your budget will allow. Be sure to ask about the paint products. A legit painting contractor will understand the reasons for your inquiry.​

​How does project managing work?Often times you will meet with the estimator or owner before the project begins, but they will not actually be performing the work. This is fairly common, and nothing is wrong with it, Detailed planning and systematic service is very important to ensure your project runs smoothly and produce professional results. Ask what management procedures are in place and a main point of contact.

Do you have references?A professional painting company that’s licensed and insured will have plenty of references. You’ll want to check them out. Do your research on this; many painting contractors will offer false references or even friends names or family members.

Painting employee training?When a painting company has a training system in place, it most often means they are reputable and care about the quality of their work. Find out if it’s a real format or just “training on the job”. Well trained painters can make all the difference with your painting project.Do you use subcontractors?Some Jacksonville painting contractors will use subcontractors instead of hiring permanent employees. Subcontractors are not the way to go! Don’t hire a painting contractor who subs their work to others; it’s risky. The quality of the work is usually not up to par. It’s always smarter to hire a painting contractor in Jacksonville who uses their own employees.Do you offer a warranty?When hiring a painting contractor for a paint job, ask about guarantees or warranties. Get these in writing for your protection. In addition, inquire about manufacture warranties. Many paint manufactures offer great warranties on certain products that never get implemented. Sooner or later a problem may occur; it could happen with even the best painting contractor. However; many professional painting contractors will have measures in place for callbacks.

My parents have been wanting me to find some good painters for their home. I'm glad that you talked about how to choose the best painters to come to your home, and I think that being able to ask them about the quality of materials they use is smart. If I'm going to be having some painters come to do some work for me, I'd like to make sure they are using quality grade materials! Thanks for the tips, and I'll be sure to ask them some questions!

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Pro Color Painting is a top-rated Jacksonville, FL painting contractor. Painting and water-proofing Florida for over 25 years.